m  a,  w\  ,5j  , 


HIGHER  EDUCATION 
BY  MISSIONS  IN  THE 
FAR  EAST 

OBSERVATIONS 
AND  SUGGESTIONS 


Privately  Printed  for  the  Use  of  Those  Interested 
in  the  Administration  and  Promotion  of 
Higher  Educational  Institutions 
on  the  Foreign  Mission  Field 

1920 


George  T.  Scott 

ASSOCIATE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS  OF  THE 
PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 

156  FIFTH  AVENUE  NEW  YORK  CITY 


HIGHER  EDUCATION  BY  MISSIONS  IN  THE  FAR  EAST 
OBSERVATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 

By  George  T.  Scott 

Based  on  a  Visit  During  1919-20  in  Japan , 

Korea,  China  and  the  Philippines. 

CONTENTS 

Introduction  .  2 

I.  General  Purpose,  Policy  and  Program  .  3 

II.  Departments  of  Higher  Education  .  5 

A.  Theological  Education  .  6 

B.  Teacher  Training  .  8 

C.  Medical  Education .  9 

D.  Various  Other  Professions  . 10 

E.  General  Cultural  Education  . 11 

F.  Extension  Work  . 12 

III.  Education  of  Women  . 12 

IV.  Coeducation  . 13 

V.  Union  Institutions  . 14 

VI.  Undenominational  Colleges  . 15 

VII.  Secular  Institutions  . 16 

VIII.  Administration  and  Support  . 18 

IX.  Property  . 21 

X.  Curricula  and  Extra-Curriculum  Activities  . 23 

XI.  Staff  . 25 

XII.  Student  Body  . 28 

XIII.  Graduates  . 29 

Conclusion  . 30 


INTRODUCTION 


A  thousand  complimentary  commendations  of  higher 
educational  work  by  Christian  Missions  in  the  Far  East  could 
easily  be  written.  Hundreds  of  consecrated,  competent  and 
cultured  men  and  women  are  devoting  their  lives  to  this  service 
always  with  earnestness,  often  with  heroism;  they  are  deserving 
of  all  praise  and  of  much  larger  support  and  cooperation  in 
every  way  than  they  now  receive  from  the  home  base ;  they  are 
endeavoring  to  invest  their  time  and  talents  for  the  highest 
safe  return  and  they  should  be  furnished  with  adequate  tools 
to  carry  on  their  indispensable  industry  which  is  part  of  the 
common  task  of  all  Christians. 

As  this  report  is  intended  for  informed  and  interested 
administrative  and  promotional  agencies,  it  is  confined  to  a 
condensed  summary  of  Observations  (which  were  necessarily 
hurried  and  superficial)  and  to  concise,  concrete  Suggestions 
(which  originated  largely  with  missionaries)  in  the  hope  that 
frank,  friendly,  constructive  criticism  may  help  in  the  earlier 
fulfilment  of  the  unbounded  possibilities  of  missionary 
colleges.  The  Suggestions  are  numbered  consecutively 
throughout  the  report  and  frequently  a  Suggestion  is  given 
without  a  corresponding  Observation.  The  matters  presented 
are  more  or  less  general  in  nature  and  scope;  many  references, 
of  course,  do  not  apply  to  all  fields  or  all  institutions,  yet  they 
are  never  limited  to  a  single  institution  and  seldom  if  ever 
to  a  single  country.  The  terms  “Higher  Education”  and 
“Colleges”  indicate  work  and  institutions  above  the  grade  of 
Middle  or  High  Schools. 

Of  the  higher  educational  institutions  in  the  Far  East,  I 
visited  in  1919-20  all  those  with  which  American  Presbyterians 
are  associated,  most  of  the  other  missionary  colleges  and  many 
secular  institutions,  and  I  submit  this  report  of  the  impressions 
received  during  these  visits. 


1.  GENERAL  PURPOSE,  POLICY,  AND  PROGRAM. 

A  recent  American  Ambassador  in  the  Far  East,  speaking 
of  missionary  colleges,  says  “The  old  order  in  the  Far  East  is 
going  to  pieces  and  a  new  order  is  to  be  organized;  so  these 
nuclei  of  organization,  these  training  centers  for  the  leaders 
of  the  new  order,  are  just  now  of  peculiar  importance.”  The 
field  of  higher  education  presents  today  a  wonderful  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  constructive  Christian  service  by  the  church.  The 
release  of  vital  and  financial  energy  in  missionary  service  is  the 
most  efficient  and  far-reaching  application  of  power  in  the 
world;  the  Christian  colleges  are  high-voltage  contact-points 
and  through  the  students  spiritual  and  intellectual  current  is 
converted  into  enlightenment,  service,  progress,  liberty  and 
hope  for  individual,  home,  community  and  nation.  These  power 
centers  must  be  properly  developed  for  they  are  of  immeasur¬ 
able  importance  in  promoting  the  world  program  of  Christian¬ 
ity.  Our  next  educational  developments  should  be  intensive;  we 
have  over-extended  our  lines  and  must  now  consolidate  the 
gains  and  vigorously  re-enforce  our  present  front. 

To  train  Christian  leaders,  to  educate  the  Christian  com¬ 
munity,  to  evangelize  the  student  classes,  and  to  permeate 
society  with  Christian  ideals  and  practices,  are  ordinarily  ac¬ 
cepted,  with  their  relative  importance  indicated  in  the  order 
above  given,  as  the  basic  purposes  and  the  justifiable  objectives 
of  higher  education  by  Christian  Missions.  In  some  conserva¬ 
tive  institutions  the  evangelization  of  students  is  not  consider¬ 
ed  an  adequate  reason  for  the  admission  of  many  non-Chris¬ 
tians,  and  the  permeation  of  society  with  Christian  principles 
is  expected  to  result  from  the  life  and  work  of  trained  leaders 
and  of  the  educated  Christian  community.  All  institutions  rec¬ 
ognize  the  supreme  need  of  cultivating  the  spiritual  life, — 
of  developing  in  staff  and  student  body  the  only  enduring, 
indispensable  dynamic  of  divine  power  and  purpose. 

Each  country  in  the  Far  East  is  obviously  groping  its  way 
upward  in  uncertainty  and  is  in  vital  need  of  strong  Christian 
leaders;  for  this  leadership  the  missionary  colleges  must  for 
the  present  be  the  chief  source  of  supply  and  they  do  not 
now  attract  and  train  a  sufficiently  large  proportion  of  the 


4 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


strongest  students  of  the  nation.  For  this  as  for  all  lasting  serv¬ 
ice  our  institutions  must  be  made  increasingly  indigenous  as 
well  as  impressively  productive  of  leaders. 

The  educational  work  of  different  denominations  has  been 
successfully  correlated  in  many  ways  but  still  further  coordina¬ 
tion  is  needed  to  insure  Christian  economy  and  efficiency  by 
preventing  un-Christian  competition  and  wasteful  overlapping 
with  consequent  needless  neglect  of  needier  places.  If  our 
various  communions  are  Christian  they  are  not  competitors  but 
colleagues.  A  much  greater  development  of  unified  policies 
and  programs  is  possible  without  impairing  the  essential  in¬ 
tegrity  or  autonomy  of  any  individual  institution.  In  union 
work  too  frequently  every  Mission  must  cooperate  in  each 
institution,  whereas,  sometimes  the  undertaking  would  be  more 
successful  if  the  different  institutions  or  other  units  were  or¬ 
ganized  on  a  cooperative  basis  under  the  full  direction  of  a 
local  Union  Committee,  with  each  separate  unit  assigned  to  a 
particular  denominational  group  and  operated  for  the  benefit 
of  all.  In  regard  to  the  General  Purpose,  Policy  and  Program 
I  suggest: 

1.  THAT  the  fundamental  aim  of  missionary  education 
in  each  nation  and  in  each  institution  be  recurrently  restudied 
in  the  light  of  its  opportunity  to  meet  local  and  vital  needs, 
and  that  this  purpose  be  clearly  defined  and  be  assigned  and 
accepted  as  the  goal  of  the  enterprise. 

2.  THAT  in  our  institutions  the  most  thorough  and 
vitalizing  Christian  education  possible  be  given  with  intensive 
religious  culture  and  that  the  student  body  be  selected  with 
great  care  for  character  and  capacity  of  leadership. 

3.  THAT  interdenominational  groups  work  out  unified 
educational  surveys  and  campaigns,  assigning  parts  of  the 
common  task  to  different  denominational  or  union  groups,  and 
that  we  all  play  the  game  according  to  instructions  from  the 
Captain  and  for  the  success  of  the  team. 

4.  THAT  the  question  of  cooperation  be  studied  from 
the  view-point  of  possibly  apportioning  particular  institutions, 
for  instance  within  a  city,  to  individual  denominations,  all 
institutions  to  be  under  the  general  supervision  of  a  union  Com¬ 
mittee.  (This  applies  principally  to  institutions  below  college 
grade) . 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


5 


II.  DEPARTMENTS  OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION 

The  usual  branches  of  Mission  activity  (evangelistic, 
educational,  medical  and  literary)  have  largely  determined  the 
principal  departments  of  education;  theological,  normal,  medi¬ 
cal,  nursing,  and  literary  courses  constitute  the  great  bulk  of 
college  work.  This  arises  from  the  wide-spread  need  for  leaders 
thus  educated,  the  missionary’s  desire  for  native  co-workers,  and 
his  ability  to  train  in  his  own  profession.  Other  types  of  train¬ 
ing  have  been  introduced  from  time  to  time  and  are  increasing 
in  number  and  importance;  law,  business,  journalism,  engineer¬ 
ing,  chemistry,  agriculture,  animal  husbandry,  forestry,  and 
various  trades  and  industries  are  looming  larger  every  year, 
while  for  the  women  a  new  emphasis  is  being  placed  upon 
social  service  and  the  neglected,  essential  art  and  science  of 
home-making  (inconspicuous  because  fundamental).  The 
broadening  process  tends  to  jeopardize  the  spiritual  depth  and 
purpose  of  an  institution  unless  safeguards  are  erected  against 
this  common  danger. 

The  development  of  departments  and  courses  seems  too 
often  dictated  by  opportunism,  expediency,  and  willingness  to 
cater  to  the  desire  of  students  for  an  education  which  can  be 
readily  and  profitably  marketed.  Sometimes  departments  are 
conducted  because  they  are  inexpensive  and  easy  to  maintain, 
or  because  students  will  pay  larger  tuition  in  them,  or  again 
because  the  college  can  furnish  nothing  different  or  better. 
The  essential  raison  d’etre  of  missionary  institutions  sometimes 
appears  forgotten,  and  long-sighted  policies  with  consistent, 
persistent  programs,  ignored.  Training  worthy  students  in 
definite  ways  under  a  suitable  faculty  and  for  fairly  direct 
Christian  leadership  may  cut  down  the  size  of  the  student 
body  and  so  make  the  cost  of  education  per  student  greater, 
but  the  increased  value  of  the  output  justifies  the  effort  and 
expense. 

Two  important  developments  that  have  successfully  passed 
the  probationary  stage  in  America  receive  scant  attention,  viz., 
University  Extension  and  Vocational  Guidance;  a  few  colleges 
feebly  attempt  one  or  the  other  but  broad  and  thorough  pro¬ 
cesses  in  either  are  wanting.  There  is  a  growing  desire  for 
extension  activities  and  an  unlimited  field  for  cultivation.  The 


6 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


discerning  and  sympathetic  guidance  of  students  into  the  kind 
of  life-work  appropriate  for  each  individual  would  make  the 
product  of  our  educational  plants  more  efficient;  faculty  ad¬ 
visers  of  students  are  especially  desirable  in  Mission  institu¬ 
tions. 

5.  THAT  careful  policies  and  the  most  beneficial  pro¬ 
grams  of  departments,  courses,  etc.,  be  formulated  and  pursued 
with  unmistakable  and  vigorous  Christian  emphasis,  and  that 
every  branch  of  missionary  education  bear  reproductive  fruit, 
consciously  and  abundantly. 

6.  THAT  the  departments  of  education  being  chosen 
for  and  adjusted  to  the  fundamental  needs  of  life,  the  students 
be  wisely  guided,  individually  and  collectively,  in  the  choice 
of  and  training  for  their  life  vocations. 

A.  Theological  Education. 

Theological  Seminaries  are  commonly  criticized  but  much 
of  the  criticism  is  caused  by  conditions  which  the  institutions 
cannot  control.  The  Seminaries  are  in  a  unique  way  creatures 
of  environment  and  circumstance;  they  are  ordinarily  poorly 
equipped  and  understaffed;  they  must  receive  such  students  as 
the  Missions  send,  must  give  them  the  best  courses  possible  to 
fit  them  for  the  many  grades  and  kinds  of  work  desired,  and 
must  live  between  the  Scylla  of  ultraconservatism  and  the 
Charybdis  of  liberalism.  What  shall  a  Seminary  do?  You 
recall  the  sad  plight  of  the  chameleon  on  the  Scotch  plaid! 

In  some  seminaries  the  study  of  Hebrew  and  Greek  is 
compulsory;  there  are  certainly  many  theological  students 
whose  time  could  be  much  -better  spent  in  other  subjects,  for 
instance  learning  English  so  as  to  be  able  to  read  English 
books.  Very  few  college  graduates  are  entering  theological 
seminaries;  one  large  denominational  university  has  in  eight¬ 
een  years  sent  only  two  of  its  alumni  into  the  ministry,  and  a 
large  union  university  has  sent  but  three.  (These  two  universi¬ 
ties  are  probably  exceptional.)  The  chief  deterrent  cause  is 
apparently  economic,  for  in  most  fields  the  ministry  at  present 
offers  little  or  no  assurance  of  a  self-respecting  living. 

The  native  church  has  very  small  control  in  the  affairs  of 
the  institutions  which  are  training  the  leaders  whom  it  must 
accept,  support,  and  follow  for  life;  the  desire  of  the  Church 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


7 


for  a  larger  share  in  the  supervision  of  the  education  of  its 
pastors  is  growing.  Many  Missions  do  not  seem  fully  to  ap¬ 
preciate  the  vital  and  primary  importance  of  the  proper  train¬ 
ing  of  the  ministers,  judging  from  the  apparently  secondary 
consideration  and  support  given  to  theological  seminaries. 
While  the  standard  of  other  education  has  been  advancing 
rapidly  in  recent  years,  the  grade  of  theological  teaching  has 
remained  practically  stationary  with  the  result  that  now  the 
graduate  trained  by  Missions  to  be  a  teacher,  a  physician,  or  a 
business  man  has  usually  a  higher  education  than  the  man 
trained  to  be  a  clergyman;  the  great  majority  of  theological 
students  begin  their  professional  study  of  three  years  at  the  end 
of  high  school  or  earlier,  whereas  the  professional  study  for 
other  vocations  ordinarily  begins  only  after  two  or  more 
years  of  college  work.  The  Christian  ministry  should  furnish 
the  highest  leadership  and  the  training  for  it  should  equal  or 
excel  that  for  any  other  vocation. 

The  education  of  women  as  evangelists,  Bible  teachers, 
pastor’s  assistants,  and  church  workers  in  other  spheres  is  being 
raised  to  higher  standards  and  some  of  it  is  now  of  a  grade 
equal  to  much  of  the  theological  education  for  men.  There 
is  increasing  opportunity  for  service  by  women  and  this  train¬ 
ing  fits  the  graduate  to  occupy  a  place  of  unusual  usefulness; 
the  number  of  openings  for  these  highly  trained  women  is 
greater  then  can  be  filled. 

7.  THAT  the  real  needs  of  the  field  be  carefully  con¬ 
sidered  and  met  in  making  up  the  curriculum  of  a  seminary, 
and  that  the  fact  that  a  certain  subject  is  traditional  or  can  he 
taught  by  an  available  professor  be  of  itself  insufficient  to  place 
it  in  the  curriculum. 

8.  THAT  Junior  Colleges  give  a  fairly  uniform,  pre- 
theological  course  so  that  students  entering  theological  semina¬ 
ries  will  have  a  somewhat  specialized  and  similar  training. 

9.  THAT  the  general  grade  of  theological  training  be 
raised,  the  standard  theological  course  for  ordination  beginning 
after  junior  college,  that  is,  after  two  or  three  years  of  study 
subsequent  to  the  completion  of  the  high  school  course;  and 
that  the  degree  of  B.  A.  be  conferred  upon  graduation. 

10.  THAT  wherever  advisable  a  higher  grade  theological 
course  be  conducted,  receiving  students  presumably  after  the 


8 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


completion  of  their  senior  college  work;  and  that  a  B.  D.  degree 
be  granted  at  graduation. 

11.  THAT  lower  grade  schools  for  unordained  evangel¬ 
ists  be  separate  from  theological  seminaries. 

12.  THAT  the  native  Church  through  properly  accredited 
representatives  be  given  larger  authority  and  responsibility 
in  the  education  of  its  ministers. 

13.  THAT  the  plants,  finances,  and  faculties  of  theologi¬ 
cal  seminaries  be  made  and  kept  adequate  for  their  supreme 
task. 

14.  THAT  missionaries  have  at  least  one  term  of  practi¬ 
cal  service  on  the  field  before  becoming  teachers  in  theological 
Seminaries. 

15.  THAT  the  subject  of  Homiletics  be  taught  in  the 
vernacular. 

16.  THAT  proper  financial  support  and  living  conditions 
be  furnished  to  Christian  ministers,  if  necessary  by  assistance 
from  foreign  funds. 

17.  THAT  the  service  rendered  by  highly-trained,  women 
religious  workers  be  studied  and,  if  after  thorough  test  it 
continues  to  be  highly  commendable,  that  training  schools  for 
such  workers  be  multiplied  and  strengthened. 

B.  Teacher  Training. 

Along  with  the  education  of  ministers  the  Missions  rightly 
regard  the  training  of  teachers,  both  men  and  women,  to  be 
essential.  This  work  has  been  faithfully  conducted  under  the 
common  restricting  circumstances  but  is  woefully  weak  in 
most  places.  Expert  trainers  of  teachers  are  too  scarce.  The 
great  and  general  advance  in  education  makes  a  better  normal 
education  imperative.  The  field  of  teaching  at  present  offers 
few  attractions  to  aspiring  youth  and  the  meager  remuneration, 
especially  in  Mission  schools,  depletes  the  normal  departments 
as  it  does  in  America.  One  noticeable  need  in  teacher  training 
is  a  much  larger  opportunity  for  students  to  observe  model 
demonstrations  of  class-room  work  and  actually  to  teach  and 
direct  schools  under  expert  supervision.  A  real  school  is  the 
natural  laboratory  and  the  necessary  clinic  of  normal  students. 
Not  only  do  the  students  profit  by  studied  observation  and 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


9 


supervised  practice  but  the  elementary  and  secondary  schools 
would  greatly  benefit  by  being  organized,  standardized  and 
developed  in  the  operation  of  this  system.  (The  vital  import¬ 
ance  of  practical  work  in  all  professional  education  is  referred 
to  later.) 

18.  THAT  the  training  of  Christian  teachers,  being  a 
great  essential  industry  of  Missions,  occupy  a  relatively  more 
important  place  in  our  missionary  program  than  at  present. 

19.  THAT  for  this  specialized  task  there  be  employed 
more  generally  those  definitely  fitted  by  genius,  talent  and 
training. 

20.  THAT  active  education  in  practice  schools  largely 
supplement  the  passive  education  of  text-book  and  lecture. 

21.  THAT  the  vocation  of  teaching  be  relieved  of  all 
unnecessary  unattractiveness. 

C.  Medical  Education. 

College  grade  work  in  medicine  is  done  in  very  few  places; 
this  type  of  training  calls  for  a  large  and  highly-specialized 
corps  of  teachers,  for  expensive  equipment  and  for  large  cur¬ 
rent  budgets;  any  one  denomination  would  have  difficulty  in 
conducting  a  high-class  medical  school  and  as  there  is  no  good 
reason  why  any  one  alone  should  attempt  it,  each  school  is  a 
union  institution.  To  help  relieve  the  immeasurable  physical 
suffering  of  the  Far  East,  in  the  name  and  spirit  of  the  Great 
Physician,  is  a  task  which  there  is  none  higher  or  more  neces¬ 
sary  and  pressing;  the  devastation  of  preventable  disease 
among  ignorant  millions  of  our  human  family  is  heart-break¬ 
ing;  the  countless  wrecks  of  our  race  require  us  to  respond 
with  salvage  measures  and  life  guards.  The  schools  of  medicine 
with  their  affiliated  schools  for  nurses  are  highly  esteemed  by 
all  classes  of  the  community,  and  the  men  and  women  graduates 
are  beloved  benefactors  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people. 
Community  service,  preventive  medicine,  public  hygiene,  and 
sanitation  are  being  developed  as  funds  and  qualified  leaders 
permit.  Teachers  in  a  medical  school  feel  especially  the  need 
of  repeated  study,  observation  and  advanced  laboratory  work 
at  home  every  few  years  and  urge  that  their  furloughs  be  more 
frequent  and  possibly  shorter. 


10 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


22.  THAT  medical  training  for  men  and  women  have  a 
large  place  in  our  program  of  Mission  advance,  with  greater 
relative  importance  given  to  the  training  of  women  doctors 
and  nurses. 

23.  THAT  medical  schools  of  the  highest  type  be  de¬ 
veloped,  not  merely  to  educate  practitioners  but  also  to  train 
native  teachers  and  research  specialists. 

24.  THAT  medical — social  and  community  work  be  em¬ 
phasized  and  that  in  this  service  the  students  give  considerable 
cooperation. 

25.  THAT  ways  be  sought  whereby,  in  fairness  to  mis¬ 
sionaries  in  other  departments,  teachers  of  medicine  may  tone 
up  more  frequently  than  the  present  furlough  periods  allow. 

26.  THAT  a  competent  business  manager  be  supplied  to 
each  medical  school. 

D.  Various  Other  Professions. 

Missionary  education  for  professional  life  has  not  extend¬ 
ed  in  any  broad,  vigorous  way  beyond  training  in  theology, 
education,  medicine  and  nursing.  There  have  been  some  at¬ 
tempts  and  several  notable  successes  in  developing  leaders  in 
other  literary,  technical  and  practical  professions,  as  Law, 
Journalism,  Engineering,  Commerce,  Agriculture,  various  In¬ 
dustries,  and  more  recently  Forestry  and  Chemistry.  There  are 
many  reasons  why  such  professional  schools  have  not  been 
more  generally  developed,  one  unyielding  deterrent  cause  be¬ 
ing  the  scarcity  of  teachers  for  these  specialized  subjects. 
Some  doubt  exists  as  to  the  justification  of  assigning  large 
forces  and  funds  to  this  secondary  line  of  defense  when  so 
much  of  the  front  line  of  the  missionary  sector  is  unoccupied 
and  under-manned.  However,  there  is  fairly  substantial  agree¬ 
ment  that  Missions  should  exhibit  through  such  schools  in  a 
few  strategic  points  the  universal  spirit  and  scope  of  Christian 
civilization  and  the  educational  model  and  scientific  experi¬ 
mentation  that  a  certain  field  might  require.  The  heavy  burden 
of  training  large  numbers  of  students  in  the  above  and  allied 
professions  and  trades  will  be  properly  and  necessarily  assum¬ 
ed  by  secular  institutions  in  which  we  hope  Church  and  Mis¬ 
sion  may  be  free  to  bring  Christian  influences  into  lives  of  the 
students  through  religious  and  social  activities. 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


11 


27.  THAT  professional  training  for  other  than  evangel¬ 
istic,  educational,  medical  and  nursing  service  be  limited  to  a 
very  few  carefully  located  and  properly  supported  schools. 

28.  THAT  pre-vocational  courses  for  these  “various 
other  professions”  be  given  in  the  Junior-colleges  wherever 
advisable. 

29.  THAT  thorough  study  be  made  as  to  what  branches 
and  grades  of  Agriculture  and  Trades  can  best  be  taught  in 
higher,  and  what  in  secondary,  institutions. 

E.  General  Cultural  Education. 

A  general  education  in  arts  and  sciences  which  leads  to  a 
diploma  or  a  degree  but  not  to  a  well-defined  vocation  is  fort¬ 
unately  less  common  on  the  Mission  field  than  in  America 
where  our  college  was  originally  constituted  as  a  preparatory 
course  in  the  study  of  theology.  Nevertheless  our  purely  cul¬ 
tural  college  has  been  too  largely  transplanted  abroad  where 
the  need  and  desire  demand  definite  training  for  known  tasks. 
When  a  student’s  education  is  completed  by  graduation  from  a 
Mission  university  or  senior  college,  he  or  she  should  be  pre¬ 
pared  for  constructive  service  in  a  clearly  recognized  vocation. 
This  does  not  prejudice  or  prelude  humanistic  and  cultural 
studies  but  merely  means  that  when  a  student’s  university  work 
is  concluded  he  should  be  recognizably  ready  for  something 
and  not  simply  ready  “for  almost  anything”;  for  instance,  an 
arts  or  science  student  that  is  not  preparing  for  a  profession 
could  be  given  enough  pedagogy  to  qualify  him  fully  for 
teaching;  although  after  graduation  he  may  never  enter  a  class¬ 
room  yet  he  will  doubtless  use  the  principles  of  education  in 
whatever  he  does,  will  be  an  abler  lay  leader  in  Church  and 
community,  and  will  have  a  useful  profession  at  his  command, 
while  his  college  life  and  work  are  redeemed  from  amoebic 
indirection.  In  the  strenuous  existence  of  over-worked  and 
under-nourished  Mission  colleges,  little  respect  and  less  room 
can  be  given  to  “Art  for  art’s  sake”;  art  and  culture  there 
should  be  for  both  aesthetic  and  utilitarian  reasons  but  only 
when  fitted  into  a  program  of  training  for  life  career;  one’s 
artistic  sense  is  pleasantly  gratified  by  the  beautiful  way  in 
which  a  person  properly  prepared  for  a  profession  harmonizes 
with  the  scheme  of  human  life  and  progress. 


12 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


30.  THAT  senior-college  courses  be  made  professional 
in  character,  fitting  the  student  for  a  life  of  useful  activity, 
in  a  definite  field. 

31.  THAT  a  general  cultural  course  with  ill-defined 
goal  and  with  only  the  status  quo  in  its  favor  be  suspiciously 
scrutinized  and  be  treated  with  the  remedies  indicated  by  the 
diagnosis. 

F.  Extension  Work. 

University  Extension  work  of  any  kind  is  extremely  scarce  in 
the  Far  East.  We  believe  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  fruitful 
departments  of  service  before  our  Mission  institutions;  the 
field  to  be  cultivated  contains  more  than  one-third  of  the 
human  race  with  hundreds  of  millions  of  fallow  minds  offer¬ 
ing  fertile  soil  for  sowing.  Not  one  person  in  ten  thousand 
will  in  a  generation  reach  a  Mission  college  but  the  colleges  can 
reach  many  of  the  other  9999.  A  few  extension  experiments, 
from  museum  lectures  to  sericulture  stations,  are  in  success- 
iui  operation  and  other  institutions  are  eager  to  open  up  more 
such  lines  of  radial  influence  and  enlightenment  but  are  re¬ 
strained  by  the  ubiquitous  scarcity  of  funds  and  trained  work¬ 
ers.  Vigorous  extension  work  calls  for  a  strong  central  in¬ 
stitution.  “Lengthen  thy  cords  and  strengthen  thy  stakes”. 

32.  THAT  earnest  effort  be  made  to  extend  beyond  the 
student  body  the  influence  and  uplift  of  Christian  education  by 
adopting  various  proven  methods  of  University  extension  and 
by  experimenting  in  new  and  locally  adapted  processes. 

III.  EDUCATION  OF  WOMEN 

No  greater  need  or  opportunity  exists  today  than  the 
Christian  education  of  the  young  women  that  are  rapidly  taking 
an  increasingly  prominent  part  in  the  life  of  the  Far  East, 
especially  in  the  leadership  of  rising  womanhood.  As  yet 
secular  institutions  are  doing  very  little  for  the  higher  educa¬ 
tion  of  women,  large  numbers  of  whom  are  now  ready  and 
eager  for  college  work;  the  opportunity  of  the  Church  is  as 
obvious  as  it  is  urgent.  The  young  women  are  seeking  train¬ 
ing  as  teachers,  church  and  social  workers,  doctors,  nurses, 
business  women  and  home  makers  as  the  wives  of  highly- 
educated  (future)  husbands.  A  very  large  proportion  of  these 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


13 


students  (probably  larger  than  among  men  students)  comes 
from  Mission  schools;  the  religious  atmosphere  of  their  col¬ 
leges  and  their  voluntary  Christian  activities  are  pronounced 
and  very  encouraging.  The  intelligent  earnestness  in  the 
class-room  is  equalled  by  the  alert  vitality  on  the  athletic  field. 
Altogether  a  visitor  gains  an  extremely  high  regard  and  hope 
for  the  women’s  institutions.  When  a  fond  teacher  asks  a 
visitor,  “Isn’t  this  the  loveliest  group  of  girls  you  have  ever 
seen?”  what  will  he  reply!  From  the  shivering  mud-brick 
class-rooms  of  northern  Korea  to  the  palm-thatched,  bamboo 
bungalows  of  the  southern  Philippines  the  girl  students  are 
exceedingly  attractive,  interesting,  and  inspiring  groups.  One 
rejoices  that  Eastern  nations  are  to  have  better  models  of 
cultured  womanhood  than  the  clever,  irresponsible,  dangerous 
demi-monde;  educated  Christian  women  are  becoming  the  new 
ideal. 

The  suggestions  that  occur  elsewhere  through  the  report 
apply  broadly  to  women’s  institutions  quite  as  much  as  to 
men’s  and  have  been  made  with  both  in  mind;  especial  refer¬ 
ence  to  women  has  also  been  made  under  several  other  head¬ 
ings;  however,  in  view  of  the  eminent  opportunity  and  pressing 
need,  a  few  general  suggestions  are  given: 

33.  THAT  special  and  immediate  effort  be  made  ade¬ 
quately  to  promote  the  development  of  the  present  women’s 
colleges,  including  the  urgently  required  strengthening  of  the 
girls’  schools  which  supply  them  with  students. 

34.  THAT  thorough  study  be  made  of  the  fields  of  serv¬ 
ice  open  to  educated  womanhood  and  that  effort  be  made  to 
determine  and  develop  the  special  departments  in  which 
Christian  leadership  will  count  most  directly  for  the  advance 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ. 

35.  THAT,  as  Christianity  must  be  indigenous  in  the 
home  and  as  heathen  home  life  is  impossibly  inadequate,  espe¬ 
cial  place  be  given  to  training  for  Christian  home  making  and 
to  preparing  Christian  teachers  of  Domestic  Arts  and  Sciences. 

IV.  COEDUCATION 

Very  little  coeducation  in  high  school  or  college  has  here¬ 
tofore  been  conducted.  However,  public  and  Mission  opinion 
opposing  the  joint  education  of  the  sexes  is  being  modified 


14 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


rapidly  and  the  next  few  years  will  probably  see  the  elimina¬ 
tion  of  much  prejudice  and  objection  to  the  principle  and 
practice  of  coeducation.  The  affiliation  of  women’s  colleges 
with  those  for  men  is  becoming  fuller,  to  their  mutual  benefit. 
Whenever  a  distinct  saving  in  staff,  property,  equipment,  and 
current  funds  can  be  achieved  without  jeopardizing  efficiency 
or  student  welfare,  closer  coordination  and  perhaps  full  union 
of  the  work  of  men’s  and  women’s  institutions  should  be  con¬ 
summated.  In  a  government  university  which  has  had  complete 
coeducation  for  many  years  the  young  women,  even  in  the 
Medical  Department,  do  not  have  separate  lectures  or  labora¬ 
tory  work  in  a  single  subject  and  the  native  dean  and  an  Amer¬ 
ican  professor  reported  that  coeducation  had  caused  no  serious 
difficulty.  There  are  of  course  many  arguments  on  both  sides 
but  the  tendency  now  is  strongly  toward  closer  affiliation  and 
coeducation. 

36.  THAT  the  question  of  the  fullest  possible  affiliation 
between  men’s  and  women’s  institutions  and  of  coeducation 
be  repeatedly  considered  with  open  mind,  and  that  every 
advisable  step  be  taken  toward  efficient  coordination  of  work. 

V.  UNION  INSTITUTIONS. 

An  outstanding  feature  of  the  past  decade  has  been  the  rise 
and  extensive  development  of  Interdenominational  Institutions 
which  are  a  natural  outgrowth  of  the  demands  of  the  work  and 
of  the  rising  spirit  of  cooperation.  They  are  doing  magnificent 
service  and  are  powerful  and  needed  exemplars  of  Christian 
union.  These  institutions  have  brought  with  them  many  new 
and  perplexing  problems  of  harmonization  and  during  these 
days  of  complex  adjustment,  a  patience,  generosity,  and  mu¬ 
tual  accommodation  are  called  for,  not  only  among  the  co¬ 
operating  denominations  but  also  among  the  missionaries  of 
each  cooperating  denomination,  for  the  demands  of  these 
union  institutions  often  affect  uncomfortably  the  practices 
of  a  Mission  and  the  interests  of  other  departments  of  the  work. 
Racial  and  denominational  orchestration  combines  high  art 
with  exact  science.  A  danger  not  easily  sensed  in  these  union 
enterprises  is  that  the  relations  of  a  denominational  Mission 
with  its  related  native  Church  may  be  seriously  impaired,  one 
safeguard  against  which  difficulty  is  to  take  the  Churches 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


15 


into  the  fullest  confidence  and  cooperation  in  the  union  effort. 
Many  Observations  and  Suggestions  covering  Union  Institu¬ 
tions  are  given  under  other  headings. 

37.  THAT,  inasmuch  as  denominational  institutions  tend 
to  perpetuate  within  the  growing  Church  on  the  Mission  field 
an  occidental  sectarianism  which  has  many  unfortunate  or, 
to  the  natives,  incomprehensible  features,  higher  education  be 
conducted  on  a  cooperative  or,  if  possible,  a  union  basis. 

38.  THAT  common  methods  of  procedure  by  Union  In¬ 
stitutions  be  worked  out  on  the  questions  of  special  regulations 
regarding  faculty  furloughs,  of  the  furnishing  of  financial 
equivalent  in  case  of  vacancies  in  the  foreign  teaching  staff,  of 
home  promotion,  of  bequests  for  unincorporated  institutions, 
of  deeds  or  memoranda  of  trust  for  buildings  of  one  Board 
erected  upon  the  land  of  other  incorporated  trustees,  etc. 

VI.  UNDENOMINATIONAL  COLLEGES 

A  number  of  outstanding,  undenominational  Christian 
colleges  are  scattered  over  the  foreign  field.  The  several  note¬ 
worthy  institutions  in  the  Far  East  are,  in  administration  and 
support,  independent  of  denominational  Missions  and  Boards; 
however,  they  function  as  vital  and  vigorous  organisms  in 
the  local  missionary  program,  doing  the  whole,  higher  educa¬ 
tional  work  except  in  theology.  The  relations  of  Mission  and 
college  personnels  are  most  harmonious  and  helpful,  and 
these  independent  institutions  are  in  the  minds  of  the  native 
population  part  and  parcel  of  a  single  Christian  enterprise. 
Because  there  is  so  much  amity  and  comity  between  the  Mis¬ 
sions  and  these  colleges,  we  wish  that  there  might  be  also  a 
unity  of  operation  brought  about  by  interlocking  directorates 
and  faculties;  if  Missions  expect  the  colleges  to  function  for 
them,  each  denominational  Mission  affected  could  maintain 
at  least  one  of  its  members  on  the  faculty  and  any  other  faculty 
member  of  that  communion  could  be  an  affiliated  member  of 
the  Mission;  representatives  of  a  cooperating  Mission  and 
Board  could  sit  on  the  Boards  of  Control  on  the  field  and  at 
home.  Mission  and  college  need  each  other,  and  close  correla¬ 
tion  will  advance  their  common  cause;  the  Christian  Church 
should  promote  a  unified  program,  with  these  colleges  as  a 
part,  for  the  evangelization  of  the  Far  East. 


16 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


These  independent  institutions  have  grown  more  rapidly 
than  other  colleges;  this  is  due  largely  to  strong  promotional 
campaigns  and  to  the  effective,  non-sectarian  appeal  to  certain 
sources  of  benevolence  both  native  and  foreign;  again,  being 
independent  and  staffed  chiefly  with  young,  aggressive  Amer¬ 
ican  collegians,  they  are  free  and  able  to  follow  the  most 
modern  methods  of  education  and  to  feature  departments  which 
do  not  train  directly  for  Church  or  Mission  work,  all  of  which 
attracts  many  students  who  can  pay  relatively  high  fees  and 
thus  enable  the  college  to  finance  its  progress.  The  local, 
indigenous  support  from  both  students  and  friendly  citizens 
is  much  greater  than  in  the  average  Mission  college,  and  the 
native  influence  and  interest  in  them  is  at  least  as  great. 

39.  THAT  the  work  of  the  independent  Christian  colleges 
and  the  denominational  Missions  be  more  closely  coordinated 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  unified. 

40.  THAT  each  directly  benefited  Mission  share  sub¬ 
stantially  in  the  work  of  an  independent  college,  supplying 
professor (s) ,  residence (s) ,  current  appropriations,  field  com¬ 
mitteeman,  and  home  trustee. 

41.  THAT  the  successful  elements  in  the  promotion  and 
operation  of  these  colleges  be  studied  by  Mission  institutions 
with  the  view  to  adopting  and  adapting  some  of  them. 

VII.  SECULAR  INSTITUTIONS 

Great,  secular  institutions  under  government  and  private 
support  and  control  are  springing  up  with  rapid  increase  in 
number,  size,  wealth  and  influence.  Our  missionary  institutions 
no  longer  hold  the  conspicuous  place  of  leadership  which  they 
occupied  earlier;  in  many  places  they  are  secondary  and  sub¬ 
ordinate.  High  standards  have  been  attained  in  non-missionary 
education,  and  missionary  work  that  is  really  mediocre  is  no 
longer  relatively  superior;  “a  one-eyed  man  can  be  king  only 
among  the  blind.”  Originally  secular  schools  were  patterned 
to  a  great  extent  after  missionary  institutions  but  many  of  them 
have  now  far  outgrown  and  surpassed  their  earlier  models  and 
have  tremendous  and  thoroughly  up-to-date  plants  with  large, 
highly-trained  faculties  with  foreign  degrees  and  student  bodies 
of  an  intellectual  caliber  and  range  greater  than  are  found  in 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


17 


neighboring  missionary  institutions.  In  many  places  ambitious 
students  endeavor  first  of  all  to  enter  the  government  institu¬ 
tions;  failing  that  they  seek  entrance  into  private,  secular 
institutions  and  failing  that  they  accept  as  third  best  enroll¬ 
ment  in  a  missionary  institution;  although  one  great  reason 
for  this  is  that  desirable  political  preferments  and  business 
positions  are  more  easily  obtained  by  graduates  from  govern¬ 
ment  colleges,  nevertheless,  we  must  realize  that  in  many  in¬ 
stances  the  training  given  in  the  secular  institution  is  of  a  dis¬ 
tinctly  higher  standard.  We  should  bring  up  the  grade  of 
work  in  our  own  institutions  and  not  attempt  to  do  more  than 
we  can  do  thoroughly  well;  to  call  a  second-rate  thing  Chris¬ 
tian  doesn’t  make  it  so.  Missionary  schools  cannot  educate  all 
Christians  in  Mission  lands,  much  less  the  entire  non-Christian 
population;  but  they  can  be  inspirational  models  of  education 
and  true  exemplars  of  Christianity.  We  should  rejoice  that 
other  interests  are  taking  up  the  heavy  burdens  of  general 
education  in  a  comprehensive  way  and  we  should  be  ready  to 
do  everything  that  we  can  to  assist  by  sympathy  and  advice  in 
these  forward  movements. 

Many  secular  institutions  are  quite  willing  to  have  mis¬ 
sionaries  carry  on  religious  and  social  work  among  their 
students.  In  a  number  of  important  educational  centers  various 
denominations  are  conducting  such  work  for  students  through 
hostels,  social  halls,  group  gatherings  for  the  study  of  the  Bible 
and  the  discussion  of  Christian  themes,  personal  visitation, 
social  contact  in  the  missionaries’  homes  and  in  the  students’ 
boarding  houses,  athletics,  English  Classes,  etc;  this  type  of 
work  cannot  be  too  highly  commended  and  various  national 
leaders  of  secular  education  speak  frankly  of  the  immense 
benefits  which  obviously  result  in  the  lives  of  the  students.  No 
one  denies  the  importance  of  educating  the  Christians.  It  is 
equally  important  to  Christianize  the  educated,  especially  those 
that  will  probably  be  influential  leaders  in  the  life  of  their 
nation.  The  men  for  this  student  evangelization  should  be  very 
carefully  selected  and  trained;  we  are  accustomed  to  think  of 
this  work  as  being  special  province  of  young  men  but  I  believe, 
with  a  very  thoughtful  Japanese  professor,  that  “The  right  man 
of  any  age  can  do  it  well”.  The  question  of  separate  student 
churches  is  one  that  needs  careful  study. 


18 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


In  some  places  strong  government  middle  schools  are 
drawing  students  away  from  similar  schools  of  the  Missions 
and  in  one  territory  have  completely  dried  up  the  feeders  of  a 
missionary  college. 

42.  THAT  missionary  institutions  seek  friendly  coopera¬ 
tion  with  secular  educational  authorities,  lending  and  receiving 
all  possible  assistance  in  the  development  of  the  most  desirable 
plans  and  processes  of  education. 

43.  THAT  we  develop  our  institutions  to  higher  efficiency 
in  every  way,  making  them  really  representative  of  Christianity. 

44.  THAT  our  middle  schools  which  feed  the  higher 
missionary  institutions  be  strengthened  and  that  desirable  out¬ 
lets  for  the  middle-school  graduates  that  do  not  further  con¬ 
tinue  their  studies  be  furnished. 

45.  THAT  Christian  missionary  work  among  the  students 
of  secular  institutions  be  greatly  strengthened  and  extended, 
and  that  it  be  developed  along  lines  of  the  most  thorough  inter¬ 
denominational  cooperation. 

VIII.  ADMINISTRATION  AND  SUPPORT 

No  attempt  is  made  here  to  discuss  the  various  and  gener¬ 
ally  complex  systems  of  administration ;  the  administrative  per¬ 
sonnel  is  so  all-important  that  the  method  of  management  is 
relatively  negligible.  Cordial  team-work  within  each  governing 
group  and  among  all  the  governing  groups  of  an  institution  is 
as  indispensable  as  is  a  sound,  business  administration  guided 
by  Christian  principles. 

A  fundamental  administrative  problem  is  the  coordinated 
development  of  all  branches  of  the  missionary  enterprise.  The 
plans  of  some  educational  institutions  appear  ambitious  com¬ 
pared  to  the  support  which  the  other  work  of  the  Missions  can 
reasonably  expect  and  if  the  goals  of  these  colleges  were 
achieved  without  the  other  missionary  activities  making  similar 
large  strides  forward,  higher  education  might  be  so  far  separa¬ 
ted  from  evangelistic,  medical,  literary,  and  indeed  lower  and 
middle  education  as  to  jeopardize  its  vital  and  helpful  contact 
with  them.  The  entire  Christian  missionary  campaign  is  a 
unit  and  I  believe  can  best  be  developed  as  such.  The  whole 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


19 


advance  of  the  Christian  forces  should  present  a  solid  front; 
it  should  neither  be  retarded  by  slow  and  meager  resources  and 
reenforcements  from  the  rear,  nor  should  communications  be 
broken  by  the  overhaste  of  any  part  of  the  line. 

Thoughtful  and  unprejudiced  nationals  of  each  country 
generally  express  very  cordial  appreciation  of  missionary 
education.  They  wish  foreigners  to  bring  to  their  lands  the  best 
possible  institutional  models  and  the  highest  type  of  educa¬ 
tional  leaders  and,  at  least  temporarily,  financial  assistance. 
There  is  a  strong  and  growing  desire  on  the  part  of  nationals 
to  share  more  fully  in  the  direction  and  to  some  extent  also  in 
the  support  of  institutions.  The  opinion  and  desire  of  the 
Chinese  in  this  regard  seem  to  be  approximating  rapidly  the 
position  taken  some  decades  ago  by  the  Japanese. 

As  institutions  grow  in  size  their  spheres  of  influence  some¬ 
times  everlap,  and  whereas  they  should  be  cooperative  they  are 
in  danger  of  becoming  competitive.  There  is  a  desire  for  a 
common  understanding  in  the  various  fields  and  for  prevention 
of  conflicting  aims  and  programs;  various  steps  have  already 
been  taken  to  meet  these  difficulties  before  they  cause  offense 
and  injury.  Also  in  the  home  lands  closer  coordination  of  the 
higher  educational  interests  in  a  given  country  should  be 
brought  about,  if  not  for  purposes  of  administration  at  least 
for  promotion  and  comity. 

Very  few  if  any  missionary  institutions  have  a  satisfactory 
program  for  cultivating  a  supporting  constituency.  With  the 
exception  of  one  or  two  colleges  that  have  definitely  limited 
themselves  to  restricted,  conservative  spheres,  they  are  all  in 
crying  need  of  largely  increased  funds  and  forces.  In  the  minds 
of  the  field  administrators  and  the  faculties  this  is  ordinarily 
the  most  urgent  question  connected  with  higher  education. 
Some  independent  Christian  institutions  employ  a  number  of 
promoters  at  considerable  expense  and  thus  provide  themselves 
with  relatively  large  resources.  This  procedure,  however,  has 
not  been  open  to  institutions  connected  with  Mission  Boards; 
they  frequently  feel  the  burden  of  their  limitations  in  not  being 
free  to  make  vigorous,  independent  attempts  to  secure  funds. 

The  current  income  is  lamentably  insufficient  practically 
everywhere.  The  hand-to-mouth  method  of  current  finance  is 
as  discouraging  and  distasteful  to  the  missionaries  as  it  is 


20 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


debilitating  to  the  work.  Income  from  students  fees  ordinarily 
forms  far  too  small  a  proportion  of  the  current  receipts. 
Students  of  financial  means  should  pay  more  nearly  what  their 
education  costs.  There  are  many  plans  of  student  aid  and  loan 
funds,  repayment  being  made  by  work,  by  post-graduate  teach¬ 
ing,  by  both  of  these,  or  in  cash.  At  a  great  government  uni¬ 
versity  an  honor  student  “must  be  distinguished  for  good 
morals”,  and  surely  the  scholarships  of  missionary  institutions 
should  be  for  students  of  no  less  distinction. 

The  matter  of  granting  degrees  is  rather  serious  in  the 
minds  of  some  institutions  which  are  not  separately  incorpora¬ 
ted  with  American  charters.  In  some  countries  a  foreign  degree, 
e.g.,  from  the  university  of  the  State  of  New  York,  is  at  present 
eagerly  sought  by  students  with  the  consequence  that  institu¬ 
tions  not  granting  such  degrees  are  at  a  distinct  disadvantage; 
some  institutions  do  not  believe  it  wise  or  find  it  convenient  to 
become  separate  incorporations  with  American  charters. 

46.  THAT  our  present  institutions  be  materially  strength¬ 
ened  before  we  open  new  centers. 

47.  THAT  higher  educational  institutions  in  each  country 
have  a  representative  union  body  on  the  field  for  reference, 
counsel  and  general  supervision. 

48.  THAT  also  in  America  there  be  formed  a  strong 
cooperating  committee,  with  a  central  office  and  staff,  for  co¬ 
ordination,  standardization,  promotion  and  possibly  some 
degree  of  administration  of  the  institutions  of  a  given  country. 
(The  Cooperating  Board  for  Christian  Education  in  Chosen 
has  functioned  successfully  for  several  years,  and  recently  a 
“Committee  of  Cooperation  for  American  Education  in  the 
Near  East”  has  been  organized.) 

49.  THAT  closer  contact  between  the  home-base  and  the 
field  be  established  by  the  appointment  of  more  liaison  officers 
and  more  frequent,  mutual  visitation. 

50.  THAT  competent  and  deserving  nationals  be  given 
a  larger  share  in  the  field  management  of  institutions  along 
with  increasing  responsibility  for  them,  not  stressing  the  latter 
too  heavily  at  first  but  nevertheless  making  clear  the  funda¬ 
mental  concept  “noblesse  oblige”. 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


21 


51.  THAT,  if  advisable,  a  uniform  practice  in  conferring 
degrees  be  pursued  by  the  Colleges  of  the  same  country. 

52.  THAT  the  financial  problems  of  missionary  institu¬ 
tions  be  thoroughly  studied ;  that  endowment  needs  be  carefully 
determined  and  adequate  measures  taken  to  meet  them ; 
that  the  officers  of  finance  on  the  field  be  given  expert,  definite, 
and  sympathetic  counsel ;  that  a  larger  supply  of  current  funds 
be  secured  both  from  the  home  base  and  especially  through 
more  intensive  cultivation  of  the  local  field;  and  that  institu¬ 
tions  well  aware  of  their  total,  anticipated  income  do  not 
stretch  it  to  the  breaking  point. 

53.  THAT  larger  effort  be  made  to  secure  from  the 
students,  through  cash,  work  or  later  repayment,  a  considerably 
increased  portion  of  the  cost  of  their  education. 

54.  THAT  scholarships  and  bursaries  be  granted  to  only 
highly  deserving  students. 

55.  THAT  each  cooperating  Mission  Board,  after  advise 
from  its  Mission,  guarantee  to  support  in  an  institution  a  rea¬ 
sonable  number  of  foreign  teachers  and,  in  case  of  vacancy  in 
that  quota,  to  reimburse  the  institution  up  to  a  certain  fixed 
limit  for  any  expenditure  it  makes  in  filling  the  vacancy. 

IX.  PROPERTY 

Property  and  equipment  are  as  a  rule  quite  inadequate 
and  are  frequently  in  a  state  of  ill-repair;  however,  on  the 
whole  the  quality  of  construction  and  of  maintenance  of  the 
property  of  higher  educational  institutions  is  better  than 
that  of  other  Mission  buildings.  In  the  past  for  lack  of  funds 
or  of  foresight  there  has  been  a  lamentable  lack  of  initial, 
comprehensive  building  schemes  for  the  future;  the  placing,  the 
coordination,  and  the  material  and  style  of  construction  have 
often  been  haphazard.  A  comprehensive  campus  layout  with  an 
harmonious  architectural  plan  for  future  development  is 
happily  becoming  the  custom  of  institutions  that  are  still  in 
their  infancy.  The  amount  of  construction  is  and  will  con¬ 
tinue  to  be  so  large  as  easily  to  justify  the  setting  up  in  the 
Far  East  (or  perhaps  in  each  country)  of  a  central  bureau  of 
missionary  architects  and  builders;  this  may  not  eliminate  the 


22 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


advisability  of  consulting  highly  qualified  and  long  experi¬ 
enced  architectural  firms.  Certain  types  of  standardized  build¬ 
ings  seem  advisable;  institutions  could  at  least  save  a  good  deal 
of  money  by  exchanging  plans  and  working  drawings  for  cer¬ 
tain  buildings,  as  many  institutions  need  practically  the  same 
kind  of  laboratories,  chapel,  library,  residences,  dormitories, 
and  so  forth.  Our  institutions  are  generally  located  in  large 
population  centers  on  land  that  is  or  will  become  very  valuable 
and  may  not  always  be  exempt  from  taxation ;  with  this,  and  al¬ 
so  the  most  advantageous  use  of  land,  in  mind  a  visitor  feels 
that  frequently  the  buildings  of  the  institutions  are  too  scattered 
and  could  be  grouped  more  compactly;  dormitories  in  many  in¬ 
stances  could  also  be  higher,  making  airier,  warmer  rooms 
(they  have  no  artificial  heat)  and  reducing  the  cost  of  con¬ 
struction  per  room;  this  would  release  valuable  land  for  re¬ 
creation,  for  landscape  and  kitchen  gardening  and  for  other 
purposes. 

56.  THAT  the  actual  property  and  equipment  needs  of 
the  institutions  be  determined  after  careful  study  and  be  ade¬ 
quately  supplied. 

57.  THAT  sufficient  appropriations  for  respectable 
maintenance  of  plant  be  made  and  be  non-transferable  for 
other  expenditure. 

58.  THAT  wherever  needed  comprehensive,  architectur¬ 
al,  campus  layouts  be  made. 

59.  THAT  an  interdenominational  bureau  of  missionary 
architects  and  builders  be  established  in  each  country. 

60.  THAT  effort  be  made  to  group  as  closely  as  advisable 
the  buildings  on  a  campus  where  land  is  or  will  be  very 
valuable. 

61.  THAT,  as  land  values  in  large  cities  are  rapidly 
rising,  all  the  land  that  will  be  needed  for  an  institution  be 
purchased  soon,  postponing  some  construction  if  necessary  thus 
to  secure  sufficient  funds  to  buy  land. 

62.  THAT,  where  land  and  construction  are  expensive 
and  many  new  residences  are  required,  an  institution  try  the 
experiment  of  a  comfortable  apartment  house,  especially  for 
teachers  with  small  or  no  families. 


Observations  and  Suggestions  23 


X.  CURRICULA  AND  EXTRA-CURRICULUM 

ACTIVITIES 

The  traditional  education  of  the  home  lands  has  natural¬ 
ly  been  transferred  by  foreign  teachers  to  the  Mission  field  and 
in  many  ways  and  places  it  fails  to  fit  the  new  environment. 
In  a  curriculum,  that  which  is  incidental  and  occidental  too 
often  excludes  the  essential  and  universal.  Careful  adjustment 
to  the  basic  needs  of  the  community  does  not  sufficiently  deter¬ 
mine  the  training  we  give  to  meet  them.  As  remarked  above, 
when  a  student  has  completed  his  full  course  of  education  he 
should  be  ready  for  a  particular  life  task.  There  is  a  laudable 
desire  on  the  part  of  progressive  students  to  have  a  profession 
at  their  command  and  courses  that  make  no  close  connection 
with  the  life  of  the  day  are  in  increasing  disfavor. 

The  graduates  from  our  missionary  colleges  become  the 
leaders  of  the  Christian  Church.  During  their  years  of  study 
they  are  largely  separated  from  the  activities  of  an  ordinary 
Christian  congregation  and  it  is  therefore  necessary 
that  their  experience  in  the  institution  should  train 
them  for  lay  leadership  in  church  and  community.  With  this 
and  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  individual  in  view  there  does 
not  seem  to  be  a  sufficient  emphasis  within  or  without  the  col¬ 
lege  curriculum  upon  religious  education  or  the  practical  train¬ 
ing  of  the  students  to  be  strong  lay  leaders  in  church  work, 
Sunday  School,  Bible  classes,  community  service,  etc.  The 
average  college  course  becomes  so  easily  crowded  with  secular 
subjects  that  religious  subjects  do  not  receive  the  attention 
that  one  wishes  might  be  given  them;  the  direct  culture  of  the 
Christian  life  and  activities  of  the  students  is  largely  left  out 
of  the  curriculum  and  without  any  other  adequate  provision 
for  development  and  direction.  Close  contact  with  the  enlight¬ 
ening  and  elevating  power  of  God  with  a  discerning,  practical 
expression  of  it  in  human  affairs  is  the  heart  of  Christian 
education;  text-book  and  test-tube  function  forcibly  but  not 
sufficiently  for  the  full  training  needed. 

Appreciating  the  great  benefit  of  laboratory  and  clinical 
work  in  certain  professional  study  one  wishes  that  a  larger 
degree  of  this  kind  of  practical  work  by  students  could  be 
made  possible  in  all  branches  of  higher  education,  for  in¬ 
stance,  that  the  students  in  Normal  departments  could  conduct 


24 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


and  teach  schools  under  supervision  and/or  observe  them  being 
taught  and  conducted  by  experts;  that  the  students  of  theology 
and  sociology  could  be  given  more  thorough  clinical  practice 
than  they  take  at  present;  and  that  likewise  students  of  com¬ 
merce,  law,  journalism,  business  administration,  etc.  could, 
like  medical,  agricultural,  and  trade  students,  have  larger  op¬ 
portunities  for  the  practical  application  and  observation  of 
their  class-room  laws  and  theories.  Native  teachers  especially 
need  to  appreciate  the  merits  of  active  (as  opposed  to  passive) 
education  both  inside  and  outside  the  class-room. 

Staffs  are  so  overburdened  with  curriculum  work  that  the 
important  extra-curriculum  activities  which  mean  so  much  to 
the  development  of  student  character  and  capacity  are  largely 
undiscovered  and  undirected.  The  religious,  literary,  musical, 
social,  and  athletic  activities  should  be  under  the  supervision 
of  faculty  members  free  and  able  to  give  these  matters  an 
inspiring  and  intelligent  leadership. 

63.  THAT  the  essential  educational  needs  of  each  nation 
and  of  the  zone  of  influence  of  each  institution  be  carefully 
determined,  and  that  curricula  be  chosen  to  supply  that  need. 

64.  THAT  a  faculty  be  formed  to  cover  the  curriculum; 
don’t  cut  a  curriculum  to  fit  a  faculty. 

65.  THAT,  if  the  use  of  English  as  the  main  medium  of 
instruction  is  not  the  wisest  procedure,  it  be  discontinued  as 
such  and  that  foreign  teachers  be  given  any  needed  training  in 
the  native  language  to  enable  them  to  conduct  lectures  and 
classes  profitably  in  the  vernacular. 

66.  THAT  (as  suggested  above)  missionary  education 
in  general  emphasize  professional  courses  in  theology,  educa¬ 
tion,  medicine,  and  nursing,  and  in  particular  places  develop 
other  professional  courses  as  models  and  as  demonstration 
stations  of  the  broad  applications  of  Christianity  to  all  phases 
of  human  life;  and  that  as  a  general  rule  courses  in  other  than 
the  professions  mentioned  be  confined  to  the  junior  colleges, 
the  graduate  professional  courses  being  ordinarily  left  to  non¬ 
missionary  institutions. 

67.  THAT  library  facilities  be  greatly  improved  and  be 
employed  as  a  direct  adjunct  of  the  class-room. 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


25 


68.  THAT  a  strong  department  of  Religious  Education  be 
conducted  in  each  institution  with  proper  emphasis  upon 
practical  Christian  service  by  the  students. 

69.  THAT  ways  and  means  be  discovered  and  employed 
for  larger  practical  service  by  students  along  the  lines  of  their 
special  department  of  study. 

70.  THAT  well  qualified  leadership  for  religious  and 
other  voluntary  student  activities  be  established  in  institutions 
where  it  is  now  lacking. 

71.  THAT  practical,  pertinent  courses  in  public  hygiene 
and  personal  health  be  given  to  all  students. 

72.  THAT  each  student  receive  a  regular  physical  exami¬ 
nation  with  remedial  recommendations  which  are  followed  up. 

73.  THAT  outstanding  educationalists  in  the  home-lands 
be  secured  for  short-term  lectureships  in  various  institutions. 

XI.  STAFF 

The  administrative  and  teaching  staffs  are  earnest  groups 
of  the  finest  Christian  men  and  women,  loyally  doing  their  ut¬ 
most  with  meager  material  resources  and  against  severe  odds 
unknown  at  home.  The  results  of  their  service  are  really  remark¬ 
able  when  one  realizes  that  the  teaching  force  of  each  institu¬ 
tion  is  insufficient  in  number  and  not  fully  fitted  by  training  for 
its  task.  These  limitations  weigh  heavily  upon  the  staffs  who 
ardently  wish  to  remove  them.  The  quality  of  the  work  could 
be  improved  by  continued  preparation  by  the  teachers  for 
which  presumably  the  foreigners  have  the  best  opportunity 
during  furlough  and  the  natives  during  their  summer  vacations. 
A  number  of  native  teachers  in  each  institution  are  worthy  of 
and  would  be  greatly  benefited  by  an  advanced  course  of 
study,  preferably  abroad;  teachers  that  have  had  this  broaden¬ 
ing  experience  are,  other  things  being  equal,  of  vastly  larger 
influence  in  the  institution.  The  lack  of  funds  is  the  common 
cause  preventing  foreign  study  but  out  of  any  increase  available 
for  expenditure  a  paying  investment  could  be  made  in  furnish¬ 
ing  travelling  scholarships  to  experienced  teachers.  Numerous 
teaching  positions  which  really  call  for  special  technical  train¬ 
ing  are  filled  by  missionaries  without  particular  qualification, 
many  of  whom  are  ordained  clergymen  who  are  conscientiously 
doing  the  teaching  because  there  is  no  one  else  to  do  it  and  who 


26 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


would  be  much  more  satisfied  and  effective  in  other  forms  of 
work.  When  the  correct  curriculum  is  determined,  a  faculty 
should  be  found  or  trained  to  fit  it. 

In  missionary  institutions  there  seems  to  be  a  scarcity  of 
prominent,  vigorous,  native  leaders  of  thought  and  life;  there 
are  of  course  many  highly-respected  and  a  few  conspicuous 
teachers,  all  of  them  probably  receiving  less  salary  than  they 
could  command  elsewhere.  The  housing  facilities  provided 
for  the  native  staff  seem  as  a  rule  quite  unsatisfactory. 

Many  institutions  both  denominational  and  union  do  not 
know  definitely  how  many  missionary  teachers  they  can  count 
upon  from  the  constituent  Mission  (s)  and  Board  (s).  In 
union  institutions  where  the  quota  of  teachers  from  each 
denomination  is  determined  by  the  denominational  home  Board, 
whenever  a  vacancy  occurs  the  local  Mission  of  the  denomi¬ 
nation  affected  may  not  feel  responsible  for  filling  the  vacancy, 
the  matter  being  left  to  a  distant  Board  in  America  with  a  con¬ 
sequent  unfortunate  delay  in  supplying  the  teacher  needed. 

The  use  of  the  English  language  is  spreading  in  the  Far 
East  and  there  is  a  growing  desire  to  learn  it;  the  majority  of 
the  missionary  universities  use  English  as  the  sole  or  chief 
medium  of  instruction  and  all  missionary  institutions  give 
English  a  more  or  less  prominent  place  in  the  curriculum. 
There  are  many  teaching  positions  which  can  be  filled  by 
English-speaking  persons  who  do  not  know  the  vernacular  and 
an  increasing  number  of  institutions  can  advantageously  use 
short-term  teachers.  Young  men  and  women  from  American 
colleges  can  render  good  service  in  teaching,  in  leading  extra¬ 
curriculum  activities  and  in  keeping  permanent  teachers  in 
touch  with  the  latest  developments  at  home;  they  will  secure 
an  intelligent  interest  in  mission  work  which  should  lead  them 
into  regular  missionary  service  or  into  the  active  promotion  of 
missionary  interest  at  home.  A  term  of  service  shorter  than 
three  years  does  not  ordinarily  have  sufficient  advantages  to 
commend  it. 

Universities  and  colleges  are  accustomed  to  state  in  their 

list  of  required  reenforcements  “Professor  of . A 

young  American  candidate  sees  the  list  and  feels  that  “Profes¬ 
sor”  is  just  what  he  would  like  to  be;  for  that  position  he  ap¬ 
plies  and  is  appointed;  after  a  year  of  language  study  he  may 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


27 


become  “Professor”,  whereas  that  rank  should  be  reserved  for 
those  who  by  experience  and  ability  deserve  it. 

74.  THAT,  inasmuch  as  a  high  quality  of  leadership 
is  required  to  train  leaders,  each  teacher  be  chosen  and  retained 
for  clearly  recognized  Christian  character  and  for  conspicuous 
personal  and  professional  attainments. 

75.  THAT  the  Boards  find  or  train  especially  prepared 
teachers  for  higher  educational  work. 

76.  THAT  the  Boards  grant  adequate  means  on  furlough 
for  advanced  work  along  educational  lines,  and  that  such 
study  be  the  rule  for  younger  missionaries. 

77.  THAT  increased  educational  facilities  on  the  field, 
by  way  of  teachers  institutes,  vacation  courses,  correspondence 
courses,  etc.,  be  made  available  for  native  teachers  with  in¬ 
ducements  adequate  to  secure  their  participation  and  with 
leaders  competent  to  coach  them  into  energetic  alertness  and 
into  the  inspirational  putting  across  of  ideas  in  the  class-room. 

78.  THAT  travelling  scholarships  for  deserving  native 
teachers  be  supplied  from  increased  funds  available  for  higher 
education. 

79.  THAT  the  conditions  of  service  (position,  salary, 
residence,  and  so  forth)  be  such  as  to  attract  more,  outstanding 
native  leaders  to  missionary  institutions,  and  that  an  increas¬ 
ing  proportion  of  the  total  current  expenditure  be  allocated  to 
the  employment  of  nationals. 

80.  THAT  a  Mission  state  the  number  of  missionary 
teachers  which  it  believes  it  should  supply  on  the  staff  of  an 
institution  and  that  the  Mission  along  with  its  home  Board  feel 
an  urgent  responsibility  of  filling  as  quickly  as  possible  any 
vacancy  that  occurs. 

81.  THAT  the  Boards  work  out  a  uniform  policy  regard¬ 
ing  the  terms  of  employment  of  short-term  teachers  and  that  a 
united  effort  be  made  to  secure  a  larger  number  of  the  finest 
type  of  foreign,  college  graduates  for  this  work. 

82.  THAT  young  missionary  recruits  be  not  appointed 
to,  or  led  to  expect  immediate  field  assignment  to,  “professor¬ 
ships”,  and  that  this  grade  in  a  staff  be  reserved  for  teachers 
of  tested  and  high  ability. 


28 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


83.  THAT,  as  a  first-hand  knowledge  of  various  phases 
of  native  life  greatly  helps  those  who  train  its  future  leaders, 
a  teacher  have  as  much  as  possible  of  missionary  experience 
outside  of  his  own  institution. 

84.  THAT  as  highly-qualified,  Christian  teachers  of 
Native  Literature  are  seldom  available,  a  special  course  to 
train  them  be  given  in  each  great  language  area. 

XII.  STUDENT  BODY 

A  visitor  is  impressed  with  the  sterling  character  and  the 
innate  capacity  of  the  students;  the  majority  of  them  are 
Christians,  many  of  rather  limited  financial  ability  and  most 
with  fairly  definite  desire  to  serve  the  Kingdom  of  Christ;  the 
college  course  makes  them  potentially  more  competent  finan¬ 
cially  and  deepens  their  purpose  of  service.  Their  sincere 
Christian  spirit  is  generally  evident  in  the  sympathetic,  spon¬ 
taneous  nature  of  their  chapel  exercises,  prayer-meetings,  and 
Bible  classes  as  well  as  in  their  daily  life  and  ready  helpfulness 
in  various  forms  of  voluntary  service  on  the  campus  and  in  the 
community.  In  certain  qualifications  the  students  may  not 
compare  favorably  with  those  in  secular  institutions  but  we 
must  not  fail  to  rate  properly  the  inconspicuous,  indispensable 
Christian  qualification  of  a  moral  character  and  the  spirit 
of  service  which  distinguishes  the  students  of  Mission  institu¬ 
tions.  On  the  other  hand,  one  wishes  that  a  larger  proportion 
of  the  students  with  high  intellectual  and  social  qualities  were 
being  educated  in  Mission  institutions  for  they  will  be  leaders 
of  their  people  and  that  leadership  should  be  Christian.  In 
practically  every  institution  one  finds  some  students  who  seem 
not  to  deserve  the  expenditure  of  life  and  money  necessary 
for  their  advanced  education;  they  are  there  because  of  some 
one’s  kind  heart;  perhaps  a  friend  pays  the  fees  and  so  the  stu¬ 
dent  is  received  and  retained ;  but  the  small  tuition  charge  is  an 
insignificant  return  for  the  total  missionary  energy  that  goes 
into  a  student. 

The  practice  of  having  students  of  lower  and  intermediate 
grades  on  the  same  campus  with  those  of  college  grade  is  prop¬ 
erly  being  abandoned  and  the  few  institutions  that  still  con¬ 
tinue  it  should  be  supplied  with  the  means  of  providing  separate 
grounds  and  buildings  for  the  younger  students. 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


29 


The  student  class  is  the  most  alert,  progressive  and  hope¬ 
ful  element  in  the  life  of  the  nations;  they  are  intensely  nation¬ 
alistic  but  their  patriotism  is  unselfish,  idealistic  and  broadly 
humanitarian.  In  the  prevalent,  determined,  student  movements 
in  the  different  countries,  the  young  men  and  women  of  our 
Mission  colleges  are  taking  an  active  and  often  a  leading  part; 
a  new  respect  for  Christian  institutions  is  resulting  from  the 
competence  and  courage  displayed  by  their  students  in  difficult 
and  dangerous  agitation  against  injustice  and  corruption. 
In  the  Class-room  the  students  are  reasonably  eager  and  am¬ 
bitious  to  acquire  and  achieve;  facility,  spontaneity,  receptive¬ 
ness  and  inquisitiveness  vary  according  to  national  (and  in¬ 
dividual)  traits;  students  seem  respectful  toward  one  another 
and  toward  teachers,  and  punitive  discipline  is  seldom  needed. 
Extra-curriculum,  student  activities  are  referred  to  elsewhere. 

85.  THAT  every  effort  be  made  to  strengthen  the  funda¬ 
mental  Christian  character  and  purpose  of  the  students. 

86.  THAT  only  students  capable  of  helpfully  using  a 
professional  education  be  trained  in  our  over-burdened  and 
under-financed  colleges. 

87.  THAT  students  of  younger  grades  be  educated  on  a 
separate  campus  from  college  students  and  constitute  a  model, 
practice  school  wherever  practicable. 

88.  THAT  attempt  be  made  to  discover  that  proper  limits 
of  student  activities  in  political  agitation  and  that  students  be 
urged  to  confine  their  activities  within  these  bounds. 

89.  THAT  various  forms  of  student  government  be 
established  more  generally  than  at  present. 

XIII.  GRADUATES 

From  the  mutual  neglect  of  alumnus  (a)  and  Alma  Mater 
one  might  suppose  the  commencement  diploma  to  be  a  certif¬ 
icate  of  divorce;  the  few  years  of  closest  intimacy  between 
student  and  college  are  followed  by  a  life  of  separation  when 
each  fails  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  the  other.  This  broken, 
or  at  best  intermittent,  and  unsatisfactory  relationship  between 
an  institution  and  its  graduates  is  world-wide;  some  American 
colleges  are  making  connecting  links  but  in  response  to  many 
inquiries  I  learned  of  no  significant  effort  in  this  line  by 


30 


Higher  Education  In  The  Far  East 


any  Far  Eastern  institution.  Maintenance  of  constant,  construc¬ 
tive  relationship  with  graduates  makes  possible  a  study  of  the 
functioning  of  the  finished  product  of  the  educational  plant, 
a  chance  to  apply  any  needed  corrective  in  the  work  of  the 
institution,  an  appreciated  stimulus  and  guidance  for  the 
graduate,  and  from  the  alumni  (ae)  an  invigorating  current  of 
good-will,  financial  support  and  sympathetic  suggestion  for 
improvement  and  progress. 

90.  THAT  news  items  of  the  institution  and  of  graduates 
be  circulated  regularly. 

91.  THAT  periodic  publications  of  the  new  contributions 
(especially  by  the  institution)  to  the  intellectual  world  and  of 
other  helpful  material  be  sent  to  graduates. 

92.  THAT  suggested  courses  of  reading,  reviews  and 
very  brief  bibliographies  be  circulated,  presumably  in  the 
above  publication. 

93.  THAT  careful  records  of  graduates  be  kept  and  an¬ 
nually  brought  up  to  date. 

94.  THAT  a  sympathetic  letter  of  encouragement  and 
inquiry  be  sent  by  the  President  or  Dean  at  least  once  a  year  to 
each  graduate  with  an  expression  of  readiness  to  assist  him 
with  any  problems  of  work,  location,  etc. 

95.  THAT  an  institution  constantly  have  in  mind  the 
placing  of  each  alumnus  in  the  field  of  service  where  his  grow¬ 
ing  talents  will  render  the  largest  service. 

96.  THAT  graduates  be  given  a  greater  share  in  the 
support  and  administration  of  their  institution,  through  mem¬ 
bership  on  the  Field  Board,  a  Graduate  Council,  and  through 
individual  annual  subscription  to  current  and  capital  expendi¬ 
ture. 

CONCLUSION 

Let  no  reader  of  this  report  mistakenly  infer  from  its 
critical  content  that  my  recent  visit  to  the  Far  Eastern  mis¬ 
sionary  colleges  failed  to  impress  me  very  favorably.  Consider¬ 
ing  all  their  limitations,  for  most  of  which  I  believe  we  at  home 
are  responsible,  their  position,  work  and  influence  are  remark¬ 
able  and  inspiring  to  any  unprejudiced  observer,  and  to  a 
sympathetic  friend  are  powerfully  invigorating  and  reassuring. 
God  has  used  the  life  energy  of  small  groups  of  devoted  work¬ 
ers  with  extremely  scanty  financial  support  to  produce  results 


Observations  and  Suggestions 


31 


that  are  immeasurably  out  of  proportion  to  the  human  causes. 
What  would  have  been  the  effect  if  the  Church  had  properly 
performed  its  part  of  the  task?  What  will  be,  when  it  does! 
Twilight  seems  bright  when  we  peer  back  into  the  night  but  not 
when  we  in  faith  face  the  dawn ;  the  dwarfing  mediocrity  of  the 
present  twilight  must  readily  resolve  into  the  warmth  and 
growth  of  the  approaching  brighter  day  of  Missions.  The 
sharp  contrast  between  the  gloomy  needs  and  the  glowing 
possibilities  of  Higher  Education  presents  a  challenging  de¬ 
mand  which  Christians  cannot  deny;  the  entire  enterprise  calls 
for  decided  development  in  every  department  in  order  proper¬ 
ly  to,  promote  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord. 

What  will  we  who  are  particularly  responsible  do  about 


it? 


